As Trump flip-flops on US academia, China’s brightest head back home. Here’s why

This year, Beijing’s Tsinghua University is up two spots to be just outside the top 10.

Peking University and Zhejiang University have also moved up the list, climbing to 25th and 45th respectively.

The rankings are the latest list of the Best Global Universities compiled by American media company US News and World Report, which looks at 2,250 top institutions from 105 countries.

The assessment focuses exclusively on the overall academic research and reputations of the universities, weighing up 13 factors, from publications to citation impact.

This year’s results show just how far Chinese universities have come in a few short years. In 2018, Tsinghua University was 50th and Peking University 68th, the only two in the top 100. Now they are among 15 Chinese universities in the top 100, with Tsinghua leading the pack at 11th.

It has been a steady rise for Chinese institutions up these kinds of ladders in recent decades, one built on sustained investment in education, students and recruitment of overseas staff.

That brain gain is growing in momentum, as the administration of US President Donald Trump flip-flops on visas for international students and cuts research funding, deterring more of China’s best and brightest from study and research in the United States.